Weather Mod - Sunset Review

• Project Type: General OWC
• Applicant: Weather Modification
• Project Name: Sunset Review on Weather Mod Program
• Title: Sunset Statutory Evaluation Criteria
• Date: 6/16/1995
• County: Statewide
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Final Report

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Sunset Review
Process

Background

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. . BACKGR0UND

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The licensing of weather modifiers pursuant to article 20 of
title 36 is scheduled to terminate on July 1, 1996 unless
continued by the General Assembly. (\24-34-104,
C.R.S.). By July 1, 1995, the Office of the Executive
Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA)
must submit its findings and recommendations to the
Colorado Joint Legislative Sunrise/Sunset Review
Committee, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of
the regulation, a determination if continuation of licensure
is necessary for the protection of the public, and
determination whether the current degree of regulation
should be decreased or increased to provide the _least,
- , 'rest,ictlve' regulatiori- consistent 'with the- .p~blic interest.
(The statutory sunset criteda are provided in Appendix A
of this report.)

The sunset review of the licensure of weather modifiers
included an analysis of the state statute and rules,
interviews with licensed weather modifiers, political
subdivisions, interv[evvs with licensed \,AJeather modifiers,
the Department of Natural Resources, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, and environmental
organizations. Research was conducted for relevant
publications as well as a review of relevant federal laws.

. It is obvious'that water has a very important impact on
Colorado and its citizens. Whether used for agriculture,
daily life, or tourism, the amount of water that Colorado
receives through precipitation via snow or rain impacts ail
facets of Colorado life and industry. The natural process
of rain or snow fall occurs by the formation of clouds as
the result of---wateF--Vaf)ef~eondensjng--afoond--microscopic
particles in the atmosphere. These particles, cailed
condensation nuclei, come from many sources including
dust. salt, and smoke. Rain occurs when these
microscopic droplets combine together to become heavy
enough to drop to the earth. To form snow, ice crystais
grow around additional particles in the cloud called ice
nuclei. Ice nuclei may be natural or man made particles.
When these crystals become iarge enough, their weight
causes -them to fall to earth in the form of snow.